MLB Player News

With Lucas Duda sporting a tight quad and a left-handed pitcher on the mound, the Mets opted to give infielder Justin Turner his first start in the outfield Thursday against the Nationals. The Mets are not sure if Turner will continue to see playing time there moving forward, but he has been getting work in prior to games.

"We'll find out," manager Terry Collins told ESPN.com. "He catches them in batting practice. He runs them down. The speed is a little different when the game time starts, so we'll see. ... The ball is going to find you. And we've seen it everywhere. But this is not a big park, so it's not someplace where your range has got to be such and such or you've got to really worry about where you position yourself. 

The Mets' offense has been a concern recently, so if Turner, who is hitting .288 on the season in 80 at-bats, can show any kind of ability in the outfield the team might opt to let him play more often.

"Obviously I'd like to find my way in the lineup a little bit more than I have," Turner said. "Playing out in the outfield is just another option for him. So I'll go out there and prove that I can handle it and make him a little more comfortable maybe using me there whenever he needs me."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper (knee) told reporters Thursday he hasn't resumed baseball activities, but he's hopeful he'll go on a rehab assignment next week. He added the swelling in his knee hasn't gone down.

"I want to get back in this lineup 100 percent, not 80 percent," he said.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Harper will have his knee examined by Dr. James Andrews Monday.

Mets infielder Justin Turner had his first career start in the outfield Thursday against the Nationals. Turner, who has played one inning in his career in the outfield, enters play batting .214 (9 for 42) in his last 22 games (eight starts).

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen has had two multi-hit games in four June appearances and has 13 multi-hit games since April 29. McCutchen is batting .331 (43 for 130) in his last 33 games, raising his season average from .216 to .284 in that span.

McCutchen is also slugging .500 with five home runs, seven doubles, eight stolen bases, 12 walks, 17 RBI and 21 runs in his last 33 games.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter extended his hitting streak to 14 games Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, going 4 for 5.

He had the team's lone extra-base hit, a double off starter Wade Miley, and raised his batting average to .333 in a 10-3 loss.

Carpenter is hitting .450 during his hitting streak, with five strikeouts in 60 at-bats. He has seven extra-base hits and 14 runs scored during the streak. 

Astros outfielder J.D. Martinez homered Wednesday against the Orioles. Martinez was one of six Houston players to homer in the game. 

Martinez had a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Steve Johnson, his sixth of the year. He went 1 for 5 and is batting .268. 

He has hits in eight of his last 10 games with five RBI over that span. 

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter pushed his hitting streak to 13 games Tuesday against the Diamondbacks with a 2-for-4 performance. Carpenter is batting .418 (23 for 55) with one home run, one triple, four doubles, five RBI, six walks and 14 runs during the streak.

Since May 1, Carpenter has a slash line of .369/.462/.492/.953 in his last 30 games. Most of his success has come out of the leadoff spot, where Carpenter is batting .340 with a .435 on-base percentage in 36 games.

"Just given the way that I take an at-bat and, you know, get on base, I thought that there would be a possibility that I could be a good leadoff hitter, but I just never really fit the mold," Carpenter said, per MLB.com. "Never really got that opportunity. I've enjoyed it. I want to get on there for these guys and keep our offense rolling."

Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes had his first-career two-homer game Tuesday during an extra-inning loss at Milwaukee. 

Cespedes had a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in th sixth off Kyle Lohse. He finished 3 for 5 with three RBI and is batting .239.

Cespedes, who 11 homers and 33 RBI, has gone 7 for 18 over his last four games with five RBI. 

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton played the first five innings Tuesday for Class A Jupiter, his first appearance as part of a minor-league rehab assignment. Stanton went 0 for 3, while playing right field.

It is not known how long the team wants him to be on his rehab assignment, but he could get extra playing time, as the Hammerheads are playing a doubleheader Tuesday. He's expected to be the designated hitter in the second game.

According to MLB.com, the team hopes Stanton can return to the field within a week. 

In anticipation of Giancarlo Stanton nearing a return, Marlins manager Mike Redmond told reporters that Marcell Ozuna will start seeing some action at center field.

Stanton will start his rehab assignment Tuesday and could return as early as next week. Ozuna has played all 32 of his games at right field with Stanton out. The 22-year-old is hitting .352 (25 for 71) with 11 RBI in his last 19 games.

"We're going to start working on ... possibly moving Ozuna into center a lit bit, taking some fly balls in center and left for when Stanton gets here," Redmond told The Miami Herald. "We want to have some flexibility there."